BYU men's basketball: Guards lead team into Arizona

TUCSON, Ariz. — The BYU Cougars, in winning seven straight and sitting at 12-1 with two games left before conference play begins, have been getting reliable play from the front line and good minutes from their reserves.

But the tear the Cougars have been on of late can be attributed mostly to the perimeter trio of juniors Jimmer Fredette and Jackson Emery, and freshman Tyler Haws.

Combined, over the past three games in which the Cougars have averaged 96 points per game, the three are shooting a combined 67 percent from the floor and are averaging a combined 63 points per game over that same stretch.

"Those three guards are just playing so consistent and so unselfish right now, and Jackson is shooting the ball so well that it's really opening up a lot of lanes for the other two," Rose said.

Fredette, the MVP of the Las Vegas Classic, is sure to be a strong candidate for his fourth Mountain West Conference player of the week award after scoring a career-high 33 against Nevada. In the past three games the Cougar floor general has made 24-of-42 shots, scored 77 points and dished out 16 assists.

"He's extremely diverse in his game, he can shoot from the perimeter and he can drive it," coach Dave Rose said at a press conference Sunday for tonight's road battle against Arizona in the Fiesta Bowl Classic. "He can create shots for himself and his teammates. Right now he's playing with a lot of confidence. He's a big key offensively to our team."

Emery's numbers are comparable. He's scored 70 points in the past three games, has made 20-of-28 shots, hit 11-of-16 3-pointers, and also has 18 rebounds, 10 assists and nine steals.

Haws, who's been dead-eye on mid-range jumpers, is 15-of-18 from the floor in his past three games, and 28-of-41 over his past five games.

With the danger that Emery and Haws have added, opposing coaches are facing a pick-your-poison dilemma when playing the Cougars. Teams either double on Fredette and leave the other two open, or try to guard Fredette with one man. Neither option seems to be working.

"Right now those three guys are just really helping us be hard to defend," Rose said.

In Arizona, the Cougars are going to face a similar type of team. The Wildcats push the ball, score a lot of points and have a point guard — in Nick Wise — who creates most of their baskets in transition or with penetration.